Cement charging, mixing and pouring apparatus attached on a heavy duty machine

Abstract

A cement mixer pivotably mounted on a linkage of an arm assembly of a heavy-duty machine, for example, an excavator or a shovel. The cement mixer includes a barrel, an agitator assembly rotatably mounted on the barrel and used to agitate materials to be mixed in the barrel, a mounting beam connecting the barrel to the linkage, a funnel mounted on the mounting beam and positioned above the barrel and used to receive the materials to be mixed and a weight measuring device provided on the mounting beam and used to measure the weight of the materials received in the funnel.

I claim: 
     
       1. A cement mixer mounted on a linkage of an arm assembly of a heavy-duty machine, comprising: a barrel having a top opening for receiving materials to be mixed onto the barrel and a bottom opening for discharging mixed materials out of the barrel;   a first valve and a second valve mounted on the barrel for respectively controlling an opening and closing of the top and bottom openings;   an agitator assembly rotatably mounted in the barrel and used to agitate the materials to be mixed in the barrel;   a mounting beam connecting the barrel to the linkage;   a charging assembly mounted on the mounting beam and positioned above the barrel and used to receive the materials to be mixed and transferring a predetermined amount of the materials to be mixed into a barrel through the top opening thereof,   a weight measuring device provided on the mounting beam and used to measure weight of the materials received in the charging assembly; and   means for controlling the orientation of the cement mixer relative to the linkage.   
     
     
       2. A cement mixer according to claim 1, wherein the means comprises a steel rope having one end connected with the barrel and the other end adapted to be connected to a rotation generating mechanism. 
     
     
       3. A cement mixer according to claim 1, wherein the charging assembly comprises at least one funnel used to receive the materials to be mixed and pivotably mounted on the mounting beam and having an inlet and an outlet and at least a hydraulic cylinder connected with the mounting beam and the funnel for causing the funnel to pivot relative to the mounting beam between a first position and a second position, in the first position the outlet of the funnel being in alignment with the top opening of the barrel, and in the second position, the outlet of the funnel being in non-alignment with the top opening of the barrel to allow the materials received in the funnel to be evacuated from the cement mixer. 
     
     
       4. A cement mixer according to claim 1, wherein the charging assembly comprises at least one funnel used to receive the materials to be mixed and fixedly mounted on the mounting beam and having an inlet, an outlet in alignment with the top opening of the barrel, a door normally in a closed state and at least one sand removing plate slideably mounted in the funnel whereby when the sand removing plate is moved toward the door, the sand removing plate will force the materials received in the funnel to be evacuated from the cement mixer through the door. 
     
     
       5. A cement mixer according to claim 1, wherein the charging assembly comprises at least a funnel used to receive the materials to be mixed and fixedly mounted on the mounting beam and having an inlet, an outlet in alignment with the top opening of the barrel a door normally in a closed state and at least a helical guide rotatably mounted in the funnel, whereby when the helical guide is rotated, it will force the material received in the funnel to be evacuated from the cement mixer through the door. 
     
     
       6. A cement mixer according to claim 1, wherein the charging assembly comprises at least a funnel used to receive the materials to be mixed and fixedly mounted on the mounting beam and having an inlet, an outlet in alignment with the top opening of the barrel, a door normally in a closed state and at least a belt conveyor mounted in the funnel whereby when the belt conveyor is run, it will force the materials received in the funnel to be evacuated from the cement mixer through the door. 
     
     
       7. A cement mixer according to claim 1, wherein the charging assembly comprises a shoveling plate for shoveling the materials to be mixed into the charging assembly. 
     
     
       8. A cement mixer according to claim 7 further comprising a protective plate formed of an abrasion-resistant material and provided on the charging assembly and the barrel to protect the charging assembly and the barrel from abrasion when the cement mixer performs the shoveling operation. 
     
     
       9. A cement mixer according to claim 9 further the agitator asembly comprises a shaft extending through the barrel and a rigid helical blade fixedly attached to the shaft. 
     
     
       10. A cement mixer according to claim 9 further comprising a plurality of flexible blade assemblies alternatively mounted between the helical blade. 
     
     
       11. A cement mixer according to claim 10, wherein each of the flexible blade assemblies comprises a base portion fixedly attached to the shaft, a strong spring and a cover formed of plastic or rubber and encasing the spring said spring having an end fixedly mounted on the base portion and another end fixedly attached with a wiping plate formed of abrasion-resistant plastic, wherein the wiping plate is located near an inner wall of the barrel. 
     
     
       12. A cement mixer according to claim 1, further comprising a pair of cushioning pads and a supporting base mounted on a bottom of the barrel to help the cement mixer to be supported on a ground. 
     
     
       13. A cement mixer according to claim 1, wherein the weight measuring device is provided on the linkage. 
     
     
       14. A cement mixer according to claim 1, wherein the second valve is guided on a pair of L-shaped guiding rails beside the second valve, each guiding rail defining a guiding channel engaging a side of the second valve for the second valve to have a sliding movement thereon, one of the sides of the second valve further having a part formed with an ear at its end projecting therefrom to extend through an arcuate guiding slot defined on a side of the barrel, and wherein the cement mixer further comprising a hydraulic cylinder pivotally mounted on the side of the barrel where the arcuate guiding slot is defined, said hydraulic cylinder having a piston defining a connecting lug on an end thereof, said lug being fixedly connected with the ear of the second valve, whereby when the cylinder is extended or retracted, it can drive the second valve to move along the guiding rails thereby to close or open the bottom opening.